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Of f ice Building
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by Brian Conway The Planning Site, LLC Last updated: 07-22-2010
Achieving Sustainable Site Design through Low Impact Development Practices
OVERVIEW In the wo rds o f o ffice design co nsultant and autho r Francis Duffy, "The o ffice building is o ne o f the great ico ns o f the twentieth century. Office to wers do minate the skylines o f cities in every co ntinent‌ [As] the mo st visible index o f eco no mic activity, o f so cial, techno lo gical, and financial pro gress, they have co me to symbo lize much o f what this century has been abo ut."
Within This Page Overview Building Attributes Emerging Issues Relevant Codes and Standards Major Resources
This is true because the o ffice building is the mo st tangible reflectio n o f a pro fo und change in emplo yment patterns that has o ccurred o ver the last o ne hundred years. In present-day America, no rthern Euro pe, and Japan, at least 50 percent o f the wo rking po pulatio n is emplo yed in o ffice settings as co mpared to 5 percent o f the po pulatio n at the beginning o f the 20 th century.
Acoustic Comfort Aesthetic Challenges Aesthetic Opportunities Air Barrier Systems in Buildings VIEW ALL RELAT ED (4 2) VIEW RESO URCE PAG E INDEX
Interestingly, the life-cycle co st distributio n fo r a typical service o rganizatio n is abo ut 3 to 4 percent fo r the facility, 4 percent fo r o peratio ns, 1 percent fo r furniture, and 9 0 to 9 1 percent fo r salaries. As such, if the o ffice structure can leverage the 3 to 4 percent expenditure o n facilities to impro ve the pro ductivity o f the wo rkplace, it can have a very dramatic effect o n perso nnel co ntributio ns representing the 9 0 to 9 1 percent o f the service o rganizatio n's co sts. To acco mplish this impact, the buildings must benefit fro m an integrated design appro ach that fo cuses o n meeting a list o f o bjectives. Thro ugh integrated design, a new generatio n o f high-perfo rmance o ffice buildings is beginning to emerge that o ffers o wners
Federal Building—Oakland, CA PDFmyURL.com
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and users increased wo rker satisfactio n and (Courtesy of Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz ) pro ductivity, impro ved health, greater flexibility, and enhanced energy and enviro nmental perfo rmance. Typically, these pro jects apply life-cycle analysis to o ptimize initial investments in architectural design, systems selectio n, and building co nstructio n. BACK TO TO P
BUILDING AT T RIBUT ES An o ffice building must have flexible and techno lo gically-advanced wo rking enviro nments that are safe, healthy, co mfo rtable, durable, aesthetically-pleasing, and accessible. It must be able to acco mmo date the specific space and equipment needs o f the tenant. Special attentio n sho uld be made to the selectio n o f interio r finishes and art installatio ns, particularly in entry spaces, co nference ro o ms and o ther areas with public access.
A. Types of Spaces An o ffice building inco rpo rates a number o f space types to meet the needs o f staff and visito rs. These may include: Offices Offices: May be private o r semi-private aco ustically and/o r visually. Co nference Ro o ms Employee/Visitor Support Spaces Co nvenience Sto re, Kio sk, o r Vending Machines Lo bby: Central lo catio n fo r building directo ry, schedules, and general info rmatio n Atria o r Co mmo n Space: Info rmal, multi-purpo se recreatio n and so cial gathering space Cafeteria o r Dining Hall Private To ilets o r Restro o ms Child Care Centers Physical Fitness Area Interio r o r Surface Parking Areas Administrative Support Spaces Administrative Offices: May be private o r semi-private aco ustically and/o r visually. Operation and Maintenance Spaces General Sto rage: Fo r items such as statio nery, equipment, and instructio nal materials. Fo o d Preparatio n Area o r Kitchen Co mputer/Info rmatio n Techno lo gy (IT) Clo sets. See WBDG Auto mated Data Pro cessing Center fo r PC System related info rmatio n. Maintenance Clo sets PDFmyURL.com
B. Import ant Design Considerat ions Typical features o f Office Buildings include the list o f applicable design o bjectives elements as o utlined belo w. Fo r a co mplete list and definitio ns o f the design o bjectives within the co ntext o f who le building design, click o n the titles belo w. Co st -Ef f e ct ive The high-perfo rmance o ffice sho uld be evaluated using life-cycle eco no mic and material evaluatio n mo dels. In so me cases, o wners need to appreciate that o ptimizing building perfo rmance will require a willingness to invest mo re initially to save o n lo ng-term o peratio ns and maintenance. To achieve the o ptimum perfo rmance fo r the investment in the facility, value engineering pro vides a means fo r assessing the perfo rmance versus co st o f each design element and building co mpo nent. In the design phase building develo pment, pro perly applied value engineering co nsiders alternative design so lutio ns to o ptimize the expected co st/wo rth ratio o f pro jects at co mpletio n. Value engineering elicits ideas o n ways o f maintaining o r enhancing results while reducing life cycle co sts. In the co nstructio n phase, co ntracto rs are enco uraged thro ugh shared savings to draw o n their special 'kno w-ho w' to pro po se changes that cut co sts while maintaining o r enhancing quality, value, and functio nal perfo rmance. Fo r mo re info rmatio n o n valueengineering, see WBDG Co st-Effective—Utilize Co st Management Thro ugho ut the Planning, Design, and Develo pment Pro cess. Funct io nal/Ope rat io nal Tenant Requirements —The building design must co nsider the integrated requirements o f the intended tenants. This includes their desired image, degree o f public access, o perating ho urs, gro wth demands, security issues and vulnerability assessment results, o rganizatio n and gro up sizes, gro wth po tential, lo ng-term co nsistency o f need, gro up assembly requirements, electro nic equipment and techno lo gy requirements, aco ustical requirements, special flo o r lo ading and filing/sto rage requirements, special utility services, any material handling o r o peratio nal pro cess flo ws, special health hazards, use o f vehicles and types o f vehicles used, and eco no mic o bjectives. Flexibility The high-perfo rmance o ffice must easily and eco no mically acco mmo date frequent reno vatio n and alteratio n, so metimes referred to as "churn." These mo dificatio ns may be due to management reo rganizatio n, perso nnel shifts, changes in business mo dels, o r the advent o f techno lo gical inno vatio n, but the o ffice infrastructure, interio r systems, and furnishings must be up to the challenge. Co nsider raised flo o rs to allo w fo r easy access to cabling and po wer distributio n, as well as advanced air distributio n capabilities to address individual o ccupant co mfo rt . PDFmyURL.com
Inco rpo rate features such as plug-and-play flo o r bo xes fo r po wer, data, vo ice and fiber, mo dular and harnessed wiring and buses, and co nferencing hubs to allo w fo r daily flexibility at wo rk as well as future reo rganizatio n o f o ffice wo rkstatio ns. Urban Planning The co ncentratio n o f a large number o f wo rkers within o ne building can have a significant impact o n neighbo rho o ds. Office structures can vitalize neighbo rho o ds with the retail, fo o d service, and interrelated business links the o ffice brings to the neighbo rho o d. Co nsideratio n o f transpo rtatio n issues must also be given when develo ping o ffice structures. Office buildings are o ften impacted by urban planning and municipal zo ning, which attempt to pro mo te co mpatible land use and vibrant neighbo rho o ds. Co nsideratio n sho uld be given when selecting o ffice lo catio ns to the distance the majo rity o f o ccupants will have to travel to reach the o ffice. Studies including zip co de o riginatio n sho uld be co nducted to determine the best lo catio n o f the o ffice. The develo pment o f new o ffice lo catio ns will o ften necessitate relo catio n o f emplo yees, particularly if the o ffice is mo ved o r o pened in a new geo graphical area. Co nsideratio n o f the municipal reso urces sho uld include ho using co sts and availability, traffic co ngestio n, scho o l system quality, cultural reso urces such as museums, spo rts teams and institutio ns o f higher educatio n, natural attractio ns such as co astal areas, mo untains and public parks, availability o f educated labo r, crime rate and law enfo rcement, and civic infrastructure capacity such as water, waste water and waste pro cessing. Once a building has been co nstructed and o ccupied, it is critical that lo ng-term perfo rmance be co nfirmed thro ugh an aggressive pro cess o f metering, mo nito ring and repo rting. The results o f this feedback sho uld info rm maintenance o peratio ns and be available as input to new design effo rts. Pro duct ive Worker Satisfaction, Health, and Comfort —In o ffice enviro nments, by far the single greatest co st to emplo yers is the salaries o f the emplo yees o ccupying the space. It generally exceeds the lease and energy co sts o f a facility by a facto r o f ten o n a square fo o t basis. Fo r this reaso n, the health, safety, and co mfo rt o f emplo yees in a high-perfo rmance o ffice are o f paramo unt co ncern. Utilize strategies such as increased fresh air ventilatio n rates, the specificatio n o f no n-to xic and lo w-po lluting materials and systems, and indo o r air quality mo nito ring. Pro vide individualized climate co ntro l that permits users to set their o wn, lo calized temperature, ventilatio n rate, and air mo vement preferences. While difficult to quantify, it is widely accepted that wo rker satisfactio n and perfo rmance is increased when o ffice wo rkers are pro vided stimulating, dynamic wo rking enviro nments. Access to windo ws and view, o ppo rtunities fo r interactio n, and co ntro l o f o ne's immediate enviro nment are so me o f the facto rs that co ntribute to impro ved wo rkplace satisfactio n. See also the Psycho so cial Value o f Space . Natural light is impo rtant to the health and psycho lo gical well-being o f o ffice wo rkers. The design o f o ffice enviro nments must place emphasis o n pro viding each o ccupant with access PDFmyURL.com
to natural light and views to the o utside. A minimum o f 30 fo o t candles per square fo o t o f diffused indirect natural light is desirable. The aco ustical enviro nment o f the o ffice must be designed and integrated with the o ther architectural systems and furnishings o f the o ffice. Special co nsideratio n must be given to no ise co ntro l in o pen o ffice settings, with abso rptive finish materials, masking white no ise, and sufficient separatio n o f individual o ccupants. Technical Connectivity Techno lo gy has beco me an indispensable to o l fo r business, industry, and educatio n. Given that techno lo gy is driving a variety o f changes in the o rganizatio nal and architectural fo rms o f o ffice buildings, co nsider the fo llo wing issues when inco rpo rating it, particularly info rmatio n techno lo gy (IT), into an o ffice: Plan new o ffice buildings to have a distributed, ro bust, and flexible IT infrastructure, which wo uld allo w techno lo gical access in virtually all the spaces. During the planning stage, identify all necessary techno lo gical systems (e.g., vo ice/cable/data systems such as audio /visual systems, speaker systems, Internet access, and Lo cal Area Netwo rks [LAN] / Wide-Area Netwo rks [WAN] / Wireless Fidelity [WI-FI]), and pro vide adequate equipment ro o ms and co nduit runs fo r them. Co nsider and acco mmo date fo r wireless techno lo gies, as appro priate. Fo r existing o ffice buildings, co nsider impro ving access to the IT infrastructure as reno vatio ns are undertaken. See WBDG Pro ductive—Design fo r the Changing Wo rkplace and Pro ductive—Integrate Techno lo gical To o ls fo r mo re info rmatio n abo ut inco rpo rating IT into facility design. Se cure / Saf e Terro rist attacks o f the last decade have fo cused design o n pro tectio n o f o ccupants and assets against vio lent attack. Thro ugh co mprehensive threat assessment, vulnerability assessment, and risk analysis, security requirements fo r individual buildings are identified, and appro priate reaso nable design respo nses are identified fo r integratio n into the o ffice buildings design. Co nsider entrances that do no t face unco ntro lled vantage po ints with direct lines o f sight to the entrance. Utilize site barriers and setbacks, perimeter barriers and blast resistances, access co ntro l and intrusio n detectio n, entrance screening, package screening and co ntro l, o pen areas that allo w fo r easy visual detectio n by o ccupants, and minimized glazing. See WBDG Safe—Pro vide Security fo r Building Occupants and Assets . First-time visito rs, unfamiliar with their surro undings, may have tro uble navigating the safest exit ro ute fro m the building. Co nsider using increased signage and/o r pro viding safety info rmatio n and a building directo ry in welco me bro chures. Also , review and evaluate safety plans o n a regular basis. See WBDG Safe—Plan fo r Fire Pro tectio n and Safe—Ensure Occupant Safety and Health. Sust ainable PDFmyURL.com
Energy Efficiency —Depending o n the o ffice's size, lo cal climate, use pro file, and utility rates, strategies fo r minimizing energy co nsumptio n invo lve: 1) reducing the lo ad (by integrating the building with the site, o ptimizing the building envelo pe [decreasing infiltratio n, increasing insulatio n], etc.); 2) co rrectly sizing the heating, ventilating, and air-co nditio ning systems; and 3) installing high-efficiency equipment, lighting, and appliances. Co nsideratio n sho uld be given to the applicatio n o f renewable energy systems such as buildingintegrated pho to vo ltaic systems that generate building electricity, so lar thermal systems that pro duce ho t water fo r do mestic ho t water (DHW) o r space co nditio ning, o r geo thermal heat pump systems that draw o n the thermal capacitance o f the earth to impro ve HVAC system perfo rmance. Additio nal co nsideratio n sho uld be given to the applicatio ns o f o ther distributed energy so urces, including micro turbines, fuel cells, etc., that pro vide reliability (emergency and missio n critical po wer) and grid-independence, and reduce reliance o n fo ssil fuel grid po wer.
C. Example Design and Const ruct ion Crit eria Fo r GSA, the unit co sts fo r this building type are based o n the co nstructio n quality and design features in the fo llo wing table (PDF 8 76 KB, 36 p g s ) . This info rmatio n is based o n GSA's benchmark interpretatio n and co uld be different fo r o ther o wners. BACK TO TO P
EMERGING ISSUES Moderniz at ion The extensive invento ry o f facilities that are o ver 25 years o f age present a significant recapitalizatio n challenge. Fo r GSA, its first impressio ns pro gram addresses the quality o f the entrance and lo bby areas o f its o lder facility po rtfo lio . Key areas o f co ncern fo r mo dernizatio n include upgrading the exterio r envelo pe, mechanical systems, teleco mmunicatio ns infrastructure, security, and interio r finishes. Impro ving the wo rkplace quality, energy perfo rmance, security, flexibility to acco mmo date tenant churn, maintenance o verhead and life-cycle expectancy are impo rtant o bjectives fo r mo dernizing these facilities, Appro priate preservatio n fo r buildings o n o r eligible to be o n the histo ric registry is part o f the mo dernizatio n effo rt.
Federal Office Building, San Francisco, California
Commissioning PDFmyURL.com
With the advent o f impro ved building techno lo gies and co ntro ls it is crucial that highperfo rmance buildings o f all kinds be pro perly co mmissio ned as part o f a co mprehensive quality assurance plan. In many instances, a pro cess o f o ngo ing co mmissio ning has sho wn to be effective. So me federal agencies and private institutio ns are mo ving aggressively in the directio n o f mandating co mmissio ning fo r all high-perfo rmance structures in their po rtfo lio s. BACK TO TO P
RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS There is an eno rmo us range o f criteria, co des, and standards that co ver federal and private secto r o ffice building design. General criteria and guidance fo r o ffice building design fo r federal facilities can be fo und in: Architectural Design Manual for Regional Office Projects VA UFC 1-200-01 General Building Requirements DOD UFC 4-610-01N Administrative Facilities DOD P-100, Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service GSA Requirements and Specifications for Special Purpose and Support Space Manual, Volume 14 GSA U.S. Courts Design Guide Judiciary Co nference BACK TO TO P
MAJOR RESOURCES WBDG Building / Space Types Federal Co urtho use, Libraries, Research Facilities, Parking Facilities, Audito rium, Auto mated Data Pro cessing: Mainframe, Auto mated Data Pro cessing: PC System, Child Care, Clinic / Health Unit, Co nference / Classro o m , Fo o d Service, General Sto rage, Jo int Use Retail , Library (Space Type), Office (Space Type), Parking: Basement, Parking: Outside / Structured , Parking: Surface, Physical Fitness (Exercise Ro o m), Private To ilet Design Objectives Accessible—Plan fo r Flexibility, Pro ductive, Pro ductive—Integrate Techno lo gical To o ls, Pro ductive—Design fo r the Changing Wo rkplace , Pro ductive—Pro vide Co mfo rtable Enviro nments, Secure / Safe—Plan fo r Fire Pro tectio n , Secure / Safe—Ensure Occupant Safety and Health, Secure / Safe—Pro vide Security fo r Building Occupants and Assets , Sustainable, Sustainable—Enhance Indo o r Enviro nmental Quality Project Management PDFmyURL.com
Building Co mmissio ning
Organiz at ions and Associat ions The American Institute o f Architects (AIA) Building Owners and Managers Asso ciatio n (BOMA) Internatio nal Facility Managers Asso ciatio n (IFMA) Sustainable Buildings Industry Co uncil (SBIC) U.S. Green Building Co uncil (USGBC)
Publicat ions GSA LEED® Applications Guide GSA LEED® Cost Study How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand. New Yo rk: Viking, 19 9 4. The New Office by Francis Duffy. Lo ndo n, England: Co nran Octo pus Limited, 19 9 7. Sustainable Building Technical Manual by Public Techno lo gy, Inc. Washingto n, DC, 19 9 6 . Systems Integration: Increasing Building and Workplace Performance by BOMA Internatio nal Fo undatio n. 20 0 0 .
Ot hers Energy Star® Net-Zero Energy Co mmercial Building Initiative—A website o f the United States Department o f Energy (DOE), Office o f Building Techno lo gy, State and Co mmunity Pro grams, HighPerformance Commercial Buildings—A Technology Roadmap (PDF 1.0 MB, 24 p g s ) BACK TO TO P
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